Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 COVID-19 testing line averages seven hours; patients share their experience Advocate staff report W ith the recent surge, the COVID-19 testing line averaged seven hours – and between 300 and 400 carloads – on Monday and Tuesday outside of Square One Mall. Everett resident Oziel Silva arrived at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday and was first in line – waiting approximately eight hours. He added that he was prepared for a long wait time. Cars were lined up at the former Sears store to Dick’s Sporting Goods. “I have to do it to save a life,” Silva said. “I’ve been experiencing some symptoms and wouldn’t want to spread it to anyone else.” Saugus resident Jennifer Powers, whose family tested positive for COVID-19, was second in line on Tuesday. She arrived at 7 a.m., waiting nearly seven hours. Powers switched with her mother to alleviate waiting times. “There has got to be a better way,” Powers said. “I’m not sure what can be done, but I’m sure someone will come up with a remedy.” On Monday, Saugus resident Deborah Barrett-Cutulle arrived at noon, and she waited seven hours, getting tested at approximately 7 p.m. Barrett-Cutulle described the scene. “We watched people (at least 2 cars) having to put gas in their cars,” she said. “We saw some people get out of their car to go get food in the mall for their families and to take their children to the mall restroom.” To alleviate wait time, she thinks, arrangements should be made to have at least three or four technicians taking tests for each line. On Tuesday, there were two technicians. She came somewhat prepared, but it wasn’t enough. “We wished we had brought On Tuesday the Square One Mall COVID-19 outdoor testing line was closed before 2 p.m. due to the volume of people in cars waiting to be tested. The COVID-19 Update Town reports 668 newly confirmed cases over the past seven days – doubling last week’s total By Mark E. Vogler T he number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to soar at a record pace not seen since the outbreak of the deadly virus in March of 2020. Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree announced that the state Department of Public Health (DPH) has notified the town of 668 new cases over the past seven days through yesterday (Thursday, Jan. 6), bringing the overall total to 7,100 cases. Crabtree also noted that the DPH confirmed one adCOVID | FROM PAGE 7 died were mostly unvaccinated, she said. Given that the nation had just completed the holiday season, officials expected that “the numbers are going to soar,” Riley-Singh noted. “People were packed in stores and restaurants. We didn’t have a mask mandate like we had last year,” she told the board. ditional COVID-19-related death, bringing the overall total to 88. Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this health pandemic,” Crabtree said. This week’s COVID-19 case total surpassed what was thought to be a record-setting amount last week – 446 cases. The town has reported 1,831 new COVID-19 cases since Nov. 22. The ongoing surge prompted the Board of Health to adopt an indoor mask mandate this week. (See related story.) A visibly frustrated Heffernan asked the nurse, “Are we ever going to start to turn a corner here?” “I know,” Riley-Singh answered. “It’s definitely not where anyone wanted to be in December 2021 and still talking about it in January 2022. But let’s get through the winter and then reevaluate, come the warmer months.” Health Director John R. Fralick III told board members that Samore food with us,” Barrett-Cutulle said. “We only brought one bag of sweet and salty kettle popcorn, and we were afraid to drink water in fear of needing to go the bathroom.” They watched someone deliver food to one of the cars. “If I had known the car in front of us was headed into the mall for food, not just the restroom, I would have asked them to get us something,” Barrett-Cutulle said. “We were stranded in our car because we left the house with our pajamas on never imaging it would take seven hours.” They brought a tablet to watch shows on Netflix while they waited. A spokesperson for Transformative Health Solutions said a large volume of cars are expected for the next few weeks, adding that people are panicked. He said the police department has been tremendous in guiding traffic. The site is open Monday through Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. lem, Peabody, Danvers, Beverly and most of Essex County have already adopted temporary mask mandates. “I think it’s going to be a necessary thing in the fight against Omicron,” Fralick said, referring to the latest variant to concern national health officials. He noted that the town has distributed some 10,000 free COVID | SEE PAGE 17 People in the front of the line were waiting for several hours – since early morning – before the site opened in the afternoon. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) A Saugus Police cruiser blocked off the entrance of the testing site at the Square One Mall’s rear entrance. Certified Nursing Assistant Edward Castor fills a syringe. A patient is shown being tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday. A string of cars lined up from outside the former Sears store to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
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